Miles SmithKansas City is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation to tackle more than $15 billion in improvements designed to enhance safety, connectivity and mobility.
The improvements include a $1.5 billion east-to-west streetcar extension to connect underserved communities with healthcare facilities and jobs in Kansas City’s downtown central business district. Another $10.5 billion project will build a 21-mile rail line that will connect the airport to downtown.
Under the partnership, the city is working with the Build America Bureau, a federal program that helps qualified entities secure government loans, grants and other funding.
The bureau and Kansas City held a workshop with stakeholders in August to discuss infrastructure needs and potential solutions. Other projects that could benefit from the partnership include:
- “Reconnecting The Eastside,” a study of the Highway 71 corridor to address how it has affected historic Black neighborhoods ($1.6 billion).
- “Reconnecting The Westside,” a study of the Interstate35 corridor to address the disruption caused by the viaduct and connect Kansas City’s historic Hispanic communities to the downtown central business district ($1.5 billion).
- Construction of an urban park at Interstate 670 to add green space and to remove the divide created by the construction of the highway ($314 million).
- Critical bridge repairs or replacement citywide ($147 million).
- Blue River Watershed safety and connectivity improvements, including economic and workforce development and neighborhood reinvestment programs. ($123 million).
- Vision Zero citywide safety and connectivity improvements for all modes of transportation and every user ($75 million).
